Are South China tigers extinct now? Hurry!

So far, there are only about 70 South China tigers in captivity in China, including four that are being rewilded in South Africa (the female tiger Cathay Pacific, the male tiger Tiger Woods, and the female Madonna, and an unnamed male tiger), as well as a male cub from Tiger Woods and Cathay Pacific. There are only more than 60 South China tigers in captivity in zoos in China, scattered in 19 urban zoos across the country. The male tiger "Hope", which was rewilded in South Africa, unfortunately fell ill and died.

In the past, the scope of China was wide and the largest number. Its distribution is far beyond South China, including East China, Central China, and Southwest China, and even in individual areas such as southern Shaanxi, Longdong, western Henan, and southern Jinnan.

In the mid-20th century, the Nanling region was the distribution center of South China tigers, while the distribution of Zhejiang, Hubei, and Sichuan in neighboring provinces was less even. At present, there may be less than 25 animals in the mountainous areas at the junction of Guangdong, Hunan, Jiangxi and Fujian.

From the current evidence, there are no South China tigers in the wild.

No, there was a lot of noise on the Internet.

The South China tiger is not extinct, and on June 22, 2017, the Guangzhou Zoo successfully bred the South China tiger again.

In 2000-2001, the State Forestry Administration and WWF conducted a large-scale survey of wild South China tigers and their habitats across the country, and no wild tigers were found during the search. After this investigation, some foreign scholars believe that the wild South China tiger has become extinct. And domestic scholars have not given up a glimmer of hope in the search for wild South China tigers.

As of 2018, the zoo with the largest population of South China tigers is Luoyang Wangcheng Park with 38 animals, followed by Shanghai Zoo with 25 and Luoyang Wangcheng Zoo with 19. In September 2010, the Shanghai Zoo established the South China Tiger Kindergarten and Nursery School for the training of South China tiger cubs, which is the first of its kind in the country. On June 22, 2017, the Guangzhou Zoo successfully bred South China tigers again.

Extinct.

The South China tiger is a subspecies endemic to China. The South China tiger is small, with the male head and tail about a meter long. Weighing about 150 kg, the female tiger has a head and tail length of about meters, a tail length of 80-100 cm, and a weight of about 120 kg.

The head of the South China tiger is round, the ears are short, the limbs are thick and powerful, the tail is long, the chest and abdomen are mixed with more milky white, and the whole body is orange-yellow and covered with black horizontal stripes.

It is a typical montane forest dwelling animal, living in the tropical rainforest of southern China, as a coarse, evergreen broad-leaved forest, and often infested in mountain deciduous broad-leaved forests and mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests with ridges, low forest shrubs and rocks or gravel. Living alone, not in groups. It is found only in China, living in south-central China, and was declared extinct in the wild in 2012.

Causes of the extinction of the South China tiger

According to the analysis of the Pure Potato Family, there are three main reasons for the endangerment of tigers in South China: habitat loss, insufficient food, adverse consequences of inbreeding and unreasonable captivity. The tiger's living environment and food chain have been severely damaged by humans.

Tigers are known to thrive mainly in inaccessible native forests. In the past, China had large areas of primeval forests that were a paradise for tigers.

In recent years, due to human reclamation, logging, mining, and the expansion of human activity areas, the primary forest has been drastically reduced, and tigers have lost their excellent living environment. Coupled with the killing of wild boars, antelopes, robes and other ungulates, which are mainly eaten by tigers, the food chain on which tigers depend has been seriously damaged.